A blog about all of the things I love - Jesus, my Family and Triathlon.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Numbers That (Don't) Matter

Husbands birthday, our anniversary, kids' ages, lowest price on milk, how fast I can pretty-up to leave, what time the kids need to be at church/practice/lessons, how many scoops of formula to 2oz of water, how much the house payment is, dosing of ibuprofen per body weight, how many servings to cook for dinner...

How many yards I can swim how fast, my personal best for 5k, 10k, 15k, Half Marathon, how much for new peddles on the bike, monthly membership at the YMCA, what time to get up to get the workout done, average pace, elevation, number of reps, rest between sets...

Resting heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol...

These are all numbers that matter to me. They serve a purpose in my life. They cause action, asking "what's next?"

It's taken me about 10 years, but I have finally decided on the numbers that DON'T matter anymore.

My weight, my hip circumference, my waist size.

These numbers don't mean a damn thing to me anymore. They don't help me buy clothes (every shop has slightly different sizing!), they don't effect my health anymore (now that I'm at an appropriate weight), and they don't help me to plan, care take, or compete.

I've tried to loose "these last15lbs" for almost a year. I'm done. With a workout schedule that has me working out 6-7 hours a week and a love of a healthy diet (okay 90% of the time), I am in the best shape of my entire life. Would I be a faster runner and cyclist if I weighed less? Sure! But why? I don't desire to be competitive in any way other than with myself. I once came in 9th in my age group and nearly fell over with surprise! Pretty sure there were only 12 women running... HA!!

I run and bike because I truly love it. I practice yoga because it helps to control chronic back pain. I swim because I wanted branch out and learn a new skill. Our children love going to the YMCA, our son lifts weights, our daughter did her first run/swim brick last month! It's not about being thin anymore. It hasn't been for a long time.

So, I'm going to concentrate on numbers that matter. How many cupcakes to make for my daughter's birthday, how many weeks til Hubby and I run another Half Marathon together, what size shoe does our growing 2yo wear, what time is the party at church...